Everything but the Football: London City Lionesses

WSL Football sat down with London City Lionesses’ Delphine Cascarino, Daniëlle van de Donk, and Freya Godfrey for a conversation about everything except the game they play.

In the 2025/26 season winter transfer window, the Cascarino twins both made moves to clubs in the Barclays Women’s Super League; Estelle to West Ham United and Delphine to London City Lionesses. “We didn't play in the same country for a while for a long time,” says Cascarino, the latter of the aforementioned. “So I'm happy to be close to her for this season.” Unsurprisingly, the pair have a lot in common, “we share the same passion and the same job. Of course, we talk a lot about football!”

Cascarino isn’t alone in sharing her career with someone so close to her. Daniëlle van de Donk and her wife Ellie Carpenter also chose to play in the English league this season, signing to London City and Chelsea respectively from OL Lyonnes.

“England breathes football. Anywhere you go is just football, football, football, and I love it,” says van de Donk, no stranger to the league having had a previous spell at Arsenal. “I always thought that Ellie would really love the competition [in the WSL],” she shares. The pair, who met while playing together in France, got married in June 2025. “We both really enjoy playing here and living here as well,” although van de Donk admits, “but you know, in Lyon you have nice weather as well.” The Dutch international laughs about her Australian spouse, “that was the biggest culture shock for Ellie I think!” It’s a cultural difference echoed by Cascarino, whose previous club was San Diego Wave in the NWSL, “the sun is rare, but it's okay. It's a nice country and a nice city too.”

As useful as it is to have a family member that understands the pressures of your career, Freya Godfrey finds it equally necessary to step outside of the football world when she goes home each evening. “Me and my mum love a cheesy rom-com,” says Godfrey, who lives at home with her parents and older brother. “Me and my dad will watch football together and we watch the NFL because he's a big American football fan,” she shares, “we'll have dinner together, which is nice.” On the menu this particular day was a homemade shepard’s pie. It goes without saying that Godfrey values the support system she has at London City, but, in her eyes, “it's nice to be able to go home and be with [family] and not be thinking about football or be talking about football.”

For Godfrey, it’s also deeply beneficial to find a separation between work and play with her teammates at London City. “It's nice to be able to create memories and do things with them away so that we can have relationships with them that aren't solely focussed on football.” Last summer, the 20-year-old even shared a holiday with fellow London City player Maddi Wilde, “we spend so much time together, we’re bound to make really good friends and connect with people.”

Away from the pitch, Cascarino enjoys cooking, usually French cuisine, and is eager to explore British classics.

She’s yet to indulge in a full English breakfast, although admits, “I like beans, they’re good!” The winger will also often dance around her house while listening to music. Her favourite singer? “Aya Nakamura, she’s a French singer.” Meanwhile, apart from watching sports with her father, an avid follower of the Bundesliga, Godfrey unwinds by doing jigsaw puzzles, “I’m doing one right now that’s a circus.” She’s hopeful that, one day, she’ll do a London City themed one, joking, “it’d be pure white and then the diamond and so the white would be just impossible.”

However, free time has looked slightly different for van de Donk recently as she’s worked to get back on the grass following months of rehabilitation for a knee injury. “Normally I'm a very closed off person,” she says, unfortunately no stranger to season halting injuries. While acclimatised to dealing with such problems, van de Donk shares that with this particular affliction she spoke about her feelings with friends and family more openly, “if you keep it locked in, it’s mentally not good and you will not recover very well.” Many in the field rely on journaling as a valuable tool to help process setbacks, but van de Donk doesn’t personally find this beneficial. After all, everyone is different. “I’d rather have a coffee, go somewhere on a walk and just talk.”

In January, van de Donk returned to the pitch, in doing so making her debut for London City, and while she’s eager to continue her playing career, she’s also focusing on the future. “I always liked to study,” she says, having secured a bachelor’s degree in business economics. When the time eventually comes, van de Donk is eager to stay in the sports realm. “I'm very committed to do my UEFA [coach training],” the 34-year-old shares, adding, “over the years, I've had so much experience and I've always wanted to coach, so I hope I will go further in that.”